Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support employment by increasing skills levels in the engineering, construction and trades based sectors.

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to supporting employment and addressing skills shortages in engineering, construction and trade-based sectors that are critical to delivering economic growth, homes and infrastructure.

The Government has announced a £600 million package to strengthen construction skills and training, helping to increase workforce capacity and create more opportunities for people to enter and progress in skilled construction careers.

Alongside this investment, Skills England is leading the Skills for Work programme, a strategic review of occupational standards and the apprenticeships and technical qualifications that underpin them, to ensure skills provision continues to meet the needs of employers and the wider economy. Recent developments include the introduction of the Level 2 General Builder apprenticeship, new Level 2 and Level 3 Plumbing apprenticeships, and a new apprenticeship unit in Permanent Modular Building Assembly to support upskilling within the sector. Key engineering apprenticeships have also been updated, apprenticeship assessment arrangements streamlined, and construction training aligned with evolving industry competence frameworks and the requirements of the Building Safety Act.